bar x

On Thursday night, H and I went out for a beer after work with one of the lawyers from my firm: he's a skinny little avid cyclist and I thought it would be good for H to meet him so they could talk bicycling.  Me, I was in it to go to the Bar X.

The Bar X is located pretty close to my office and I've been wanting to go there ever since we first even thought about moving to SLC.  It has been around for 77 years and until recently was a legendary dive bar.  They didn't allow women in there until 1986, and even then the owner was so ticked off that he refused to install a women's bathroom until the state health department forced him to do so.  The bar closed in July of last year after the property owner refused to renew the tavern's lease; new bar management (a co-owner is Ty Burrell of the Modern Family sitcom who has family in SLC) stepped in, remodeled the heck out of the space and finally re-opened in January.  I wanted to go when it was a dive; I still wanted to go when it was a "chic dive."

The front entrance is still pretty dive-y with the windows closed with black curtains and neon signs proclaiming "Cocktails" and "Cold Beer."  Inside, however, the new Bar X is not at all sketchy. They've kept the original wagon wheel light fixtures but everything else is dark and warm, jewel-toned light coming from the long bar festooned with liquor bottles.  The bar runs down one side of the room and a line of small tables runs down the other, with a few high tables in the middle and a booth or two snuggled into the corners.

While the old Bar X used to serve ginormous Bud Lights, the new Bar X instead prefers trendy (and expensive) cocktails like the Sazerac, with rye whiskey, bitters, sugar and a lemon twist served in an absinthe-coated glass.  They've also got about six beers on tap, including the ubiquitous Uinta Cutthroat, and a number of bottled beers too, like the very hoppy and floral Spiral Jetty IPA from Epic Brewing.

It was pretty quiet in there at 5:30 p.m. on a Thursday evening: several people sitting at the bar, three or four other tables.  There were three or four people working, however, which makes it odd that service was kind of slow - H's beer glass sat empty for quite some time before anyone stopped by to ask if he wanted it refilled.  I liked it, this new not-a-dive Bar X, although it was a little dark - thus keeping me from really examining the drinks list and providing you with a full report.  I have a feeling I'll go back, though, and can fill in the blanks for you then.